New specialty boutique opening in Richland. Plus, China Cafe is serving again
The final retail space at Park Place, the fashionable development that replaced the pit at the entrance to Richland, has a tenant that is, well, fashionable.
Tulipe Lifestyle Shop — pronounced ‘too-leap’ — plans its two-day grand opening starting at 10 a.m., March 17 in its glassy, sunlit quarters.
The storefront is sandwiched between the Graze restaurant and Fleet Feet in the Park Place complex, 614 George Washington Way.
Tulipe is the brainchild of Kelli Kania, a Pasco native, and Heather Nickolaus, who grew up around nurseries in the Yakima Valley.
They aim to create a comfortable spot for in-person shopping and to cater to interest in high-end clothing, accessories, home decor, candles, lotions, gifts, cards and books.
The shop features whimsical touches, such as a pair of legs wearing painted Dutch clogs. The clogs honor Nickolaus’s heritage and to Kania’s warm memory of time spent visiting Amsterdam.
Risque carrot-themed wallpaper in the bathroom honors bodies of all shapes, sizes and colors.
Kania said she and Nickolaus spent hours scouring wallpaper samples and settled on the torso-shaped carrots because they reflect their common roots in agriculture. Kania, a nurse, is married to a carrot farmer. Nickolaus’s husband is in the wine industry.
The duo met about two years ago. Kania, a nurse, was noodling over a gift shop dream. Nickolaus had her own project. They eventually decided to work together, leading to Tulipe.
They considered shop space at the Parkway, across George Washington, and at Park Place. The latter, though more expensive, offered the visibility and foot traffic they sought.
Kania said the shop is a work in progress that already altered its lineup. As they worked to set up the space, they noticed the hundreds of people who drop by Graze for lunch every day, including well-dressed businessmen. The shop is split 80:20 between women’s and men’s apparel.
Tulipe shares a courtyard with Fleet Feet, the high-tech athletic footwear store that opened in late February. Strings of Edison lights between the two buildings set the mood for outdoor events, including plant shows, pop-up events and yoga classes.
Kania and Nickolaus together with family members will operate the store to start. Kania still works a day a week as a nurse.
Tulipe is notable for being the final retailer to lease space at Park Place, the high-profile “gateway” development near the entrance to the city and to Howard Amon Park.
The city sold the former pit at 650 George Washington Way to Mark Lambert’s Crown Group, a Chicago-based developer with a strong Tri-City presence.
Graze, A Place to Eat, was first to move in when it relocated from the Richland Parkway in 2021. Popcorn Northwest, led by Jeramy Schultz, was the next to open. Fleet Feet came third.
Two additional retail spots in the apartment building are occupied by a aesthetics studio and a salon under construction.
Design Concepts Construction of Richland, led by Mike Passmore, completed the tenant work for the Park Place retail businesses.
Tulipe shop hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday. It is closed on Sunday and Monday. Follow Tulipe @Tulipetheshop on Facebook.
China Cafe is back
The popular Chinese restaurant reopened March 1 as China Cafe Express at 201 N. Edison St. in Kennewick’s Marineland Village.
China Cafe closed in late 2021 after 40 years in the former Pizza Hut at 131 N. Ely St., next to Highway 395.
The building was demolished and the site is being redeveloped for a new edition of Graze.
But China Cafe owner Ming Tam proved he wasn’t gone for good when he leased a 2,200-square-foot spot at Marineland and disclosed plans to reopen through brokers at NAI Tri-Cities.
